You Are Safe In My Heart
by bebravelauren
Summary: Rose has lost Jack... forever... and realizes she needs to fulfill her promise to him by living life to make each day count by never giving up... This is Rose's story AFTER Titanic. Follow her through everything... Part 1... R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay guys, so this story is going to take a LONG time… if you go on my website I said that it's going to have at LEAST a thirdquel… at least… So anyways, I'm probably not going to update this a whole lot right now only because I'm in the middle of WNEMS and later AIALBTY, well, I'm posting AIALBTY later so, yeah. You'll see what that one's about later. So again, the general idea is that this is not going to be updated for a while… sorry!... but trust me, it's going to be worth it(: Anyways, let's just get going because I am TOO excited for this story! (:**

**Love**

**Lauren :)**

****I wheezed silently through my nose as the cold air whipped against my face. I sighed slowly and looked around at the now calm water. No one was moving, no one was yelling… everything was just, silent.

"It's getting quiet." I informed Jack who was shivering in the water in front of me. He hoisted himself up a little bit in an effort to get warmer, but failed, and sank back into the water slowly. He gripped my hand tighter and let out a breath of air. I watched his breath float in the cold air, then turned my attention back towards Jack.

"I don't know about y-you, but, I am g-going to write a str-strongly worded l-letter to the W-White Star Line about all of th-this." He explained to me. I looked down at Jack, my eyes now tearing up, and realized that Jack and I were going to die. I knew there was nothing we could do anymore.

Nothing.

"I love you, Jack." I told him, wanting to make sure he knew how I felt about him before we both left the earth. Jack looked up at me and frowned.

"Don't you do that," he instructed me urgently. "Don't you say your goodbyes. Not yet, do you understand me?" I winced and then scrunched up my face, trying hard not to let go of my life right then and there.

"I'm so cold." I informed him. Jack pleaded with his eyes to keep me going, to stay strong, but he knew only his strong words would do that.

"Listen, Rose," he said, trying hard to keep me awake. "You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on, and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in your bed, not here. Not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?" tears then started to streak my face continuously and I sighed. I strained to listen to Jack's voice, the voice that would forever ring in my ear, but I couldn't. The cold had made everything feel so gone, so distant, so far, so lost, and it felt like I would never get it back.

"I can't feel my body." I told him, trying to explain in those few words that nothing he could say would change the terrible situation we were in.

"W-Winning that ticket, Rose, was the b-best thing that ever ha-happened to me," Jack explained as he gripped my hand tighter and tighter. "It brought me to you, and I'm grateful for that Rose, I'm grateful. You m-must do me this honor. You must p-promise me that you'll s-survive, that you will never give up, no matter h-how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise." I sobbed again quietly and held his hand tighter. I sighed in frustration and smiled at him weakly.

_We're going to make it, Rose, _I thought to myself. _You're both going to make it…_

"I promise."

"Come Josephine in my flying machine, going up she goes… up she goes…" I sang quietly to myself as I stared up at the dark sky. The stars twinkled like little lights and it made me smile. Suddenly, a bright light flashed across the sky. I turned my head and it was immediately shown into my eyes. I shut them tight, almost being blinded, then realized what it was…

"Hello," a man called. "Is there anyone alive out there? Can anybody here me?" I smiled, and actually started to laugh to myself, realizing that Jack and I had made it.

We survived.

"Jack," I whispered as I rolled back onto my stomach to face him. "Jack, Jack there's a boat, Jack. Jack, Jack honey wake up, there's a boat." I looked down at him, still smiling, when my smile faded. The rim of his face was covered in ice, and so was his hair. He was a pale color, his lips blue, and I realized no air was coming out of his nose.

He wasn't asleep…

He was…

Dead…

_No, _I thought. _This is not happening. No, no, no! Not Jack, no, please, Jack! Please, Jack!_

"Jack," I said again, now shaking his arm feverishly. "Jack, wake up, there's a boat Jack, please! Jack, Jack! Jack, there's a boat Jack!" I turned my head again and watched as the boat started to float away. His voice was muffled now, and I could barely hear him.

"Heelloo! Iiss aannyyoonnee aalliivvee oouutt tthheerree? Ccaann aannyyoonnee hheeaarr mmee?" I started to bawl. Literally bawl. Jack was dead.

Dead.

The only man that I ever cared about… the only person that had truly ever cared about me… was dead.

Dead.

The only man that I ever loved… the only person that had truly ever loved me… was dead.

Dead.

I laid there crying on some wooden board in the middle of the North Atlantic, and everything came rushing back…

The first time I saw him…

The first time I heard his voice…

The first time we touched…

The first time we actually had a conversation…

The first time I saw his artwork…

The first time he shared his experiences with me…

The first time we laughed…

The first time we danced…

The first time I realized I was in love with him…

The first time I saw him try to fight for me…

The first time I thought, _Screw this… I love him…_

The first time we kissed…

The first time he saw me naked…

The first time he drew me…

The first time we escaped Lovejoy…

The first time we made love…

The first time I confessed to him I wanted to be with him forever…

The first time I ever doubted him…

The first time I let him go…

The first time I realized he was right all along and Cal was just an "unimaginable bastard"…

The first time I apologized to him…

The first time I saved him…

The first time he went crazy because we had no way out…

The first time I looked up at him and realized I couldn't leave him… I couldn't get on the lifeboat… I couldn't do it… because I loved him… more than my own life…

The first time we ran from Cal…

The first time we almost drowned…

The first time I realized the last place we stood together, was the first place we stood together…

The first time I thought I lost him…

The first time… I knew we wouldn't make it…

The first time… I knew _he _wouldn't make it…

My eyes opened with a flash… and I realized something… I was alive out there, and I could hear him… And I made a promise…

I promised that I was going to get out of here, and that I was going to go on, and I was going to make lots of babies, and that I was going to watch them grow, and that I would survive, and that I would never, _ever _give up… no matter how hopeless… and that I was going to die an old, old lady, warm in my bed…

I promised.

I turned back to Jack, tears now pouring down my face like a terrible rainstorm, and gulped.

"I'll never let go, Jack," I whispered before I kissed our intertwined hands. "I promise." I then, with all the strength I had left, took his frozen hand off mine. I held it for a long beat before finally let it slip through my shaking hand. I cried loudly as I watched him fall into the ocean, and for a split second, I wanted to grab him and pull him back up, and that if I wished hard enough, he'd open his eyes and we'd make it out of here together.

But deep down…

I knew that wasn't going to happen…

I cried for another minute and immediately climbed off the board, realizing that if I had waited any longer I would have broke down. The water was actually colder than the night air, and I gasped silently for air. My left arm was completely limp, so I feverishly paddle myself over to the dead man with the whistle with my right. My feet were almost limp as well, so only my feet were kicking me towards him. I, in a flustered state, grabbed onto the board and pulled myself up far enough to shakily grab the whistle form the man's mouth. I pushed it into mine and blew with all of my might, all of my strength. Suddenly, the light flashed in my eyes, and I could faintly see the man at the end of the lifeboat smile.

"Come about!" He yelled. I knew that he was coming, that they were going to get me, but I continued to blow anyways, still fazed from previous events.

I survived.

I did it.

I kept my promise.

**AHAHA! That's all you get for now! Did you love it, is it fabulous? I think so, lol(: Anyways, please review! I'm SUPRE excited for this story… but, reminder, I probably won't be updating this for a while… but, review and read anyways! (:**


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, been really writer's blocked lately, but anyways, back to it! Plus my week hasn't gone great, I've been having a lot of Blech days, but Baylee and someone else *Wink* *Wink* *Baylee* (: Have been cheering me up… ah(:

Love,

Lauren

I sat on a small, hard wooden bench, a hot mug of coffee in my hands and about three blankets wrapped around my body and head. My red hair was still somewhat frozen to my face, and the wind blowing through the air made me even colder. I stared into my coffee mug, still completely fazed, and didn't even bother to look around at all of the other people who were almost as miserable as me.

Almost as miserable…

Almost…

"I don't think you will find any of your people down here, sir," I heard a steward say. "It's all steerage." I heard someone walk by him, their loud shoes clanking against the deck, and I turned slowly, afraid at what I might see.

Dammnit.

"Rose?" Cal said as he gently touched another red haired woman on the shoulder. She turned around and looked at him, scared, and Cal sighed, walking away.

I inched the blanket farther from my eyes, and stared at Cal for a long beat before pulling the blanket back over my face and shifting my body towards another family, making it look like I was with them. After a few more seconds, I looked back at him and watched as he walked up the stairs, hoping, _praying, _that that was the last time I'd ever see him.

I just couldn't go back.

I knew I couldn't go back the moment Jack and I made love, and I told him I wasn't…

"_When the ship docks, I'm getting off with you." I said, staring up into his blue, icy eyes. He smiled slightly and leaned in closer, wrapping his hands around my waist._

"_This is crazy." He whispered so that only I could hear. I smiled, chuckled, and started to play with his shaggy blonde hair._

"_I know," I said, in between laughs. "It doesn't make any sense, but that's why I trust it." He smiled again and looked back and forth at my lips, and then to my eyes._

God_, _I love him. _I had thought._

_I pulled his head farther down and kissed him passionately, intertwining my fingers in between his hair. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and as I pulled away and looked up at the large block of ice… I knew right there… things were about to change…_

"Miss," someone said as they tapped on my shoulder. I whipped my head around and looked up at the steward.

"Here," he said as he handed me a small bowl of soup. "It'll warm you up." I continued to look into his eyes for another minute or so before I handed him my mug for his bowl. He smiled weakly before walking away again. I sighed and looked at the soup in the bowl, and absentmindedly stirred the pasta and vegetables around with my spoon. I had always liked soup as a child. It was a simple meal that felt much more homely than all the others that the chef prepared on almost a daily basis…

But somehow I'd lost my appetite…

I looked at a young girl sitting next to me. She was gripping her stuffed dog for life, water and tears dripping off of it, and her eyes were glued on my bowl. I looked down at the soup, took in one last breath of warmness, and smiled weakly at her. I gently reached over and set her dog down on the bench, then handed her my bowl. She continued to stare back and forth between me and the bowl, before quickly grabbing it. The spoon fell onto the deck, making a clattering noise, and she gulped down almost the entire thing in one sipping. Her mother turned and looked at me, and for some reason I had felt like I had done something wrong… when she smiled at me, and handed me her extra blanket. I took it hesitantly and wrapped it around my body. She nodded her head and started to rub her little boy back and forth in an effort to keep him warm. I sighed, and took off the blanket she had given me. I leaned over far and wrapped it around the blonde haired boy, then gently patted his head. The woman looked up at me again, tears almost forming in her eyes, and smiled.

"Vous avez un bon coeur," she said softly.

She was French.

I furrowed my brows.

Coeur… Heart…

_La __**coeur **__de la mere…_

Bon… good…

"Good heart?" I asked just as softly, pointing towards my heart. She smiled and nodded, and pointed towards my heart as well.

"Good… heart…" she said hesitantly. I smiled at her, and watched as she turned back to her children, wiping some broth off of her daughters chin.

The day passed quickly, all in a blur, and the only thing I really remember was watching that woman's daughter for her so she could take her son to the restroom. The girl sat far away at first, once again gripping her dog, but she moved closer to me eventually. We sat side by side for awhile, both of us looking out at the sunset, when she sniffled. I turned to her and sighed as she began to cry.

"Mon père ... il s'en est allé," she muttered in between sobs. I furrowed my brows again, trying to understand the French, seeing as I knew little of it, and frowned.

"Pere… father?" I asked. She nodded, her eyes still fixed on the sun, and wiped her eyes. "Do you speak English?" I asked. She nodded again.

"Yes," she said. "A little." I smiled weakly and slowly put my arm around her. She sniffled again and rested her head in my lap. I stroked her baby like skin, and pushed a few of her dark curls out of her wet eyes. I wiped away a tear in her cheek, but another one replaced it.

This poor little girl had lost her father…

Her father…

I knew what that was like.

My father, although a businessman, was very loving. When it came to parenting, he usually left it up to my mother or the nanny, but I wish it was the other way around. As I got older, he was the one who understood. He even told me he would pay for me to fly out to Paris, and that he might even go with me. But when he had a heart attack in early May… that all changed. Instantly, my mother contacted Nathan Hockley to arrange and engagement between Cal and I, knowing that my father had died with a long line of debts.

"Thank you," the woman said as she and her son returned. I smiled and lifted the little girl up, after she had fallen asleep, and handed her to her mother. Her mother took her slowly, then laid her down on the bench farther to the right. I smiled again as she continued to grip her stuffed animal, then looked back out at the sun.

"_Why can't I be like you, Jack, just… head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it?" I said, motioning out towards the sun that was blazing in our direction. I leaned out over the railing then smiled back up at him._

"_Say we'll go there sometime… to that pier, even if we only ever just talk about it," I instructed. He smiled and faced me._

"_No, we'll go!" He assured me. "We'll ride the rollercoaster 'til we throw up, and we'll drink cheap beer, and we'll ride horses, right in the surf! But you have to ride like a real man, none of that side saddle stuff!" I scoffed while chuckling._

"_You mean… one leg on each side? Could you show me?" I asked. He smiled and rubbed the rope he was holding in his hand._

"_Sure, if you like." I smiled and looked back out at the water._

"_Teach me how to ride like a man!" I yelled. He laughed and leaned in closer._

"_And chew tobacco like a man!" He continued. I chuckled again._

"_And… SPIT like a man!" _

…

"Miss," a familiar someone said. I opened my eyes, the figure a little blurry.

"Jack?" I wondered. My vision became clearer.

"No, ma'am," the steward said. "It's getting late, though, I just thought you'd like to go inside and sleep in a nice warm bed. You look like you could use a nice warm bed." I looked around, and realized I had dozed off. It was dark, and the only thing lighting up the night were the few light poles along the deck.

"Oh," I said softly, realizing there were others asleep as well. "Th-thank you, but I'm quite alright here." The man smiled and handed me another blanket. I smiled weakly as well and covered it over my feet. He patted them, then walked back inside. I sighed and leaned my head back down onto the bench. My stomach formed knots, and I felt like I was going to puke…

That's when it hit me…

That's when it finally sunk in…

The Titanic had sunk…

And Jack was dead…

**I always leave on a sad point, don't I? (: Well, I'm glad I could get this chapter up because with this week coming up, I'm not going to be updating as regurlarly and DEFINETELY won't be updating this very much either. Got to finish up those other ones before I dive head first into this one. Don't worry, I got most of the chapters outlined, it's just a matter of writing and posting! Haha, review please! (;**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all! Sorry I haven't updated in a while… Been REALLY busy this week. Also, if you read WNEMS, I PROMISE I will update tomorrow after physical therapy! PROMISE! PROMISE! PROMISE! If you read AIALBTY, I will DEFINETELY post sometime this weekend! Been really writer's blocked with those two… ugh… BUT, at least I have an amazing best friend who is nice enough to find photos of my "husband" *Key-thing, quotes. I'm 13, so I'm pretty sure being married is against the law… plus my "husband" is like, 23 years older than me… so…* in his "tool" phase(: Lol, you should ALL get who my "husband" is by now(;**

**Love,**

**Lauren DICAPRIO (Hint enough for 'ya? :D)**

The next two days went by in a blur. A complete and utter blur.

By now, it was night time, and we were sailing into the New York Harbor. I was still sitting on that same bench, and I had been for the past three days. The first, and then the next two. I hadn't moved. I couldn't move.

I was wet, soaking wet. It had been raining all that day. My heavy and wet coat weighed me down, and I could already tell by my constant sniffling and coughing that I was already coming down with a cold.

All I wanted to do was lie down and cry.

But when I saw it, something inside of me sparked.

I can't explain it.

My legs really just stood up on their own, and I walked further along the deck, far enough so that I was standing in the direct path of the Statue of Liberty.

It was… majestic.

A symbol of hope for all immigrants looking for a new life in America.

A symbol of encouragement for all of the people here on the Carpathia… who had to start over completely.

And a symbol of bravery for me. It told me to be brave and me strong, and somehow… right then and there, I realized what Jack had done.

He saved me… in every way a person can be saved.

He saved me from the sinking Titanic. He did everything in his power to… and he wasn't going to give up until I was saved… even if that meant dying in the process…

And most importantly… he saved me from my treacherous life. The same old boring routine, the same old redundant people. He saved me from all of that… and opened my eyes to the world… the real world…

"Can I take your name please, love?" The gentle steward asked as he kept his umbrella cautiously over his papers. I turned my head slowly to look down at him. My eyes were stained with red, my hands were cold and hard, my body was weak and numb…

And yet…

None of that matter.

Nothing mattered at all.

Except one thing…

My promise.

I took a deep breath, and thought long and hard. Thought long and hard about how far I had come, how far Jack had pushed me…

And I was going to be damned if I threw that all away.

So of course I could have told him, "Rose DeWitt Bukater", and he would have taken me back to first class, and I would be consumed by mother and Cal again, and I would live this extraordinary life of luxury for as long as I lived…

But I wasn't an idiot.

Not at all.

So with every ounce of courage I had inside of me, I drew in one last quick breath, and answered him softly.

"Dawson," I said, looking back up at the green lady in the sky. "Rose Dawson."

"Thank you," he replied. Something rolled down my cheek. Was it a raindrop, or a tear? I would never know.

There was one thing I did know, however.

I knew how much I loved Jack.

And I would never… never… ever… let go…

**(; More to come! I promise! Expect the next chapter HOPEFULLY before Thanksgiving(; Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**THANKSGIVING! I think I've gained 10 pounds… oh well! I had some free time right before dinner, so I started writing! Hoping everyone is having a safe and wonderful holiday! Let the Titanic-Ness begin!**

**Love and Gobble Gobbles,**

**Lauren(;**

Another raindrop hit my face, shaking me out of my small daze. It was so cold. My hands were almost numb. I stuck them into the pockets of Cal's overly large coat in a strong effort to warm them. I slid them down farther and farther down the fabric, when suddenly, my left hand rubbed up against a familiar, cold surface. I ran my thumb over the top of it. How odd.

I gasped.

Slowly, slowly, I lifted the stone from my coat, hoping it wasn't what I thought it was.

Dammnit.

There, in the palm of my hand, was the large blue stone…

_The Heart of the Ocean…_

I whipped my head around quickly, hoping… _praying… _that no one had seen.

Immediately, as if it was a reflex, I stuck it back into my pocket.

Why was it in my pocket?

But… wait…

It was Cal's pocket…

"Miss," someone tapped my shoulder. "We'll be docking soon. You might want to go inside and warm up." I smiled politely as they did as well, and watched as they walked back inside the cabins.

I took one last look at the "green lady in the sky", and walked back inside myself.

It was musty, dirty, not the best accommodations… but what can I say? I was glad I had any accommodations at all…

I walked over to a small table in the far right corner of the room, and sat myself down on the bench next to the window. There were some crumbs and a napkin on the table, and I absentmindedly started to tear the edges. I looked back out the window, and watched as we loomed closer towards the docks crowded with people.

It was a anarchy.

Almost everyone there was some gold digging reporter of some sort. Hardly any were family members, and I can bet you most of them weren't going to get the best news. Camera bulbs flashed and notepads started to wave around in the air. I could hear, distantly, one man yelling, "How many are dead? How many are dead!" A tear rolled down my cheek, and I turned away.

For some reason, deep in the back of my mind, I wished this was all a dream; all a dream of mass proportion. Because then, if it was a dream, I could just wake up in Southampton, in my 100 count sheets, and run. Just run. I wouldn't give an explanation, but the reason was so I wouldn't get on that doomed ship. Mother and Cal could certainly get on it, that's fine with me, but I would run. Just run. All the way down to the docks, and straight into that pub. I would turn over that poker table, and grab his hand, and then _we'd _run. Just run. I wouldn't care if he thought I was crazy, I wouldn't care, and I wouldn't care if he didn't love me right then, I wouldn't care, because all I cared about was him, and if he did get on that ship, he would die. So we would probably go our separate ways, but he'd be alive… alive… and maybe one day… mine…

"Excuse me, ma'am," I jumped. "Don't be alarmed. Please, it's just time to get off now." I looked up into the concerned stewards eyes. It was the same man who had asked for my name not too long ago.

"Th-thank you," I managed to say. He smiled sweetly, and then gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be alright Miss. Trust me," he said in an effort to assure me.

It didn't work.

I nodded, and he smiled again, and then walked over to another table full of people. I slowly got up from the bench, and headed towards the door. I stepped out onto the wet deck, and then turned left with the other people, as we headed down towards the stairs. There was a quick jolt, and I knew we had docked.

"Miss, Sir, over here! C'mon make a statement! Do you know how many are dead? Is Astor dead? C'mon!" The jumble of questions and requests from the reporters bobbled in my head, and I covered my ears with my hands. A stewardess came along and handed me a flannel blanket. I took it slowly, and wrapped it around myself. A little girl stood in front of me, her clothes tattered and ripped. She was wet, and telling by the goose bumps on her arms, she was cold, too. I rubbed the blanket on my arms, quickly, one last time, and then tapped on her shoulder. She turned to face me, her sweet blue eyes staring up at me. I hadn't seen eyes that blue in days.

Oh how I missed them.

I handed her the blanket, and she wrapped it around herself quickly, letting her honey doo hair static up everywhere. I couldn't help but smiled slightly, when another flash of a camera hit my eyes.

I continued to walk along in the line of people, keeping my head low in case anyone noticed me. I started towards the ramp, and slowly put my foot down onto the metal surface. It creaked, but I kept walking. When I got to the bottom, I quickly stepped onto the ground. I never loved land as much as I did at that moment.

I pushed through the crowd of people, notebooks being pushed in my face and cameras flashing every second.

"My daughter! Where is my daughter?" I heard an eerily familiar voice shout, but I kept walking.

I couldn't look back.

I couldn't go back.

Everyone believed that Rose DeWitt Bukater died along with the thousands of others that died that night when the Titanic sank…

And I would too…

As I stepped into a small inn, a bell rang over head. I looked up quickly, the sound startling me, then continued to walk up to the front desk. I stood there for a while, looking at the staff scrambling around, putting up flyers saying, "Titanic survivors welcomed here!" Finally, a tall bellhop walked around the desk and smiled as politely as he could, even though he was quite flustered.

"What can I do for you, Miss?" I stared at him for a long second, his facial expression changing from friendly to confused, then shook my head, trying to concentrate.

"A room, I, I need a room." I managed to say in a whisper. He heard me though, and then looked me up and down.

"Oh, oh my. Right, right of course," he said, realizing that I was a survivor. He shakily grabbed a key of one of the hooks, and placed it in my hands, folding my fingers over it carefully then holding them for a second longer.

"Don't worry about the fee, ma'am." He whispered. I stared at his gentle face for a while then smiled weakly. I turned towards the stairs, and walked up them quickly. I started to cry as I grabbed the banister.

No one had ever pitied me before.

But that was always because I was wealthier than they were.

That was different now.

And it always would be.

**So? I worked EXTREMELY hard on this chapter! I'll probably even update this later today as well! Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**OHMYGOSH! Watching Titanic at this very second! It's on ABC Family! "Why can't I be like you, Jack, just, head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it!" THAT'S WHERE I AM! "Teach me to ride like a man!" "And chew tobacco like a man!" "And, spit like a man!" Lol, enjoy!**

**Big Fan: Haha, thank you, that's my job(; Oh and thanks! It just came to me(; And you too! Oh! I would REALLY love it if you got an account, because my friend wanted to know if you wanted to take over ANOTHER account that reviews and helps people with their work. Just let me know if you want to, I think you'd like it(;**

_Thunder._

A white streak flashed across the city sky as I buried my face into the cold, silky pillow. My red tangled hair scratched at my face as I turned left and right, my ears pounding from the large screeches of nature. Multiple tears ran down my cheeks and I whimpered in sadness. My dream was taking over me…

It was breaking my heart…

"_Come Josephine in my flying machine, going up she goes… up she goes…" I sang quietly to myself as I stared up at the dark sky. The stars twinkled like little lights and it made me smile. Suddenly, a bright light flashed across the sky. I turned my head and it was immediately shown into my eyes. I shut them tight, almost being blinded, then realized what it was…_

"_Hello," a man called. "Is there anyone alive out there? Can anybody here me?" I smiled, and actually started to laugh to myself, realizing that Jack and I had made it._

_We survived._

"_Jack," I whispered as I rolled back onto my stomach to face him. "Jack, Jack there's a boat, Jack. Jack, Jack honey wake up, there's a boat." I looked down at him, still smiling, when my smile faded. The rim of his face was covered in ice, and so was his hair. He was a pale color, his lips blue, and I realized no air was coming out of his nose._

_He wasn't asleep…_

_He was…_

_Dead…_

My eyes opened quickly and I looked around the room, not realizing that I had fallen asleep. A book I had picked up downstairs still lay on my chest and the tan colored lamp next to me was still on. I sat up slowly; my face streaked with tears, and wiped it, realizing, after I looked at my hand, that the little makeup still stuck to my face was running uncontrollably.

I sighed and sat up, and sleepily rubbed my eyes. It took me a moment to grasp my bearings. It was hard to wake up to a very unfamiliar place, but then again, it was only my second night. I threw the covers off me quickly, my body soon covering with goose bumps, and crawled out of bed, hoping not to wake the people next door. I tip toed towards the bathroom, needing a quick pick me up. I closed the door quietly, then walked over to the sink. I grabbed the cool, marble surface on both sides with my hands, then slowly looked up into the mirror at my reflection.

I was a hot mess.

My hair was tangled and ratty, sticking to my wet and sweaty face. I had probably gained a good five pounds, just within the few days I was on land.

_Lightning._

I whipped my head to face the foggy window in the bathroom, and watched as another light blinded the city, and me. The thunder then roared angrily, and even after it was over, it rang in my ear annoyingly.

I looked back at myself in the mirror. All I was filled with now was sadness. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life anymore.

My life was meaningless without Jack…

"Rose what are you talking about?"

I turned my head around quickly, then screamed. I fell back against the sink, slightly hitting my head on the faucet, then began to rub it hardly. I shut my eyes tight, then opened them again.

Jack.

"This is a dream… this is all a dream!" I yelled, shutting my eyes again.

"No it's not." He said. I opened them again quickly, then stood up, closing them again.

"You're not real!"

"You're right, I'm not."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Helping you."

"I don't need help!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes!"

"Rose, open your eyes!

"I don't want to!"

"Rose!"

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked at this man. This tall, blonde haired, blue eyed man.

It was Jack.

Tears began to fill my eyes as I took a step closer. I reached my hand out slowly, hoping to grab his hand, but when I did, all I felt was air. I took another step back, and rammed into the sink again.

"I'm still here, Rose. I'll always be here." He said softly, his soothing voice echoing in my ear.

He slowly started to wipe away, as if the wind was carrying him off.

"Wait, stop," I said, walking towards him. "Jack, Jack don't go! Don't leave me! Jack!"

I shot up.

I panted heavily, and wiped my face. I pushed myself up farther on the bed and looked around. No one was there. The bathroom door was still closed, and I was still alone.

"It was a dream," I said to myself quietly. "Just a dream." I sighed and lay back down, kicking the sheets off of me because it was so hot, and nuzzled up next to my pillow. A few tears escaped my eyes, and I let out a few sobs.

I wish this was all just a dream.

Every last bit of it.

The rainstorm continued through the night, not letting me sleep a wink. I wiped my face and sighed, then rolled over to face the window.

"_Come Josephine in my flying machine…" Jack sang in my ear as he flirtatiously played with my fingers, our arms stretched out wide. I smiled, and then I looked out at the water. The sun was shining bright in our faces, giving us a warm glow. _

_I turned to him slowly, our faces almost touching. His eyes were so bright, and his face was soft._

_At that moment, I didn't have a care in the world._

_All I wanted was Jack._

_Then, as slowly as possible, I moved in closer. Our lips brushed against each other's, softly, but then he kissed me._

_He really kissed me._

_I lowered our hands down, and he placed them on my waist. He held onto me gently, making sure I didn't fall. _

_Bliss…_

"I love you Jack," I whispered, and with that, I fell asleep…

**Hey everyone! So sorry I haven't updated in a while! I felt terrible all week, and on top of that I had school, basketball, and homework. Oh! For all of you WNEMS and AIALBTY fans out there, I promise I will be updating those tonight. You can COUNT on it! I will work all day to make sure they are FANTASTIC! Anyways, Review please! Hoped you all enjoyed! I might even update this one tonight again… we'll see(;**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**A/N: I WILL be posting soon! Please don't think that I forgot about you all or anything like that! I've just been EXTREMELY busy with my own writing projects, kicking up my acting career (Which is going pretty well, I have an audition) school, and tons and tons of family drama. But I promise I will update this week! Please forgive me. PLEASE..**


	7. Chapter 7

**First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all who celebrate! **

**Second of all…**

**Oh. My. God. Where did I go? I don't even know! I cannot believe that I haven't updated in so long! What with break and the stress of the Holidays and school… ugh… I cannot believe it. I promise I will try to update more often, it's just that basketball is in full gear, and now that I'm off my broken foot. (Oh, did I tell you? Yeah, I broke my foot) Anyways, and now that I'm off my broken foot… I actually have to play. So… yeah. Enjoy the chapter! WNEMS and AIALBTY will be updated today as well(;**

**Love,**

**Lauren(;**

My feet creaked as I walked down the stairs, early in the morning, maybe around three. I scanned the hotel lobby before walking across it to the door, making sure no one was there. I pulled my coat over myself tighter, the air surreally cold. It was probably just the hypothermia. It hadn't fully worn off.

I opened the door slowly, and stepped outside. The bell above the door rang quietly, but I closed the door quickly, stopping all sounds.

I took in a breath of the fresh air. I hadn't been outside in days.

I walked along the sidewalk, the sky still dark, and the sun barely peeking through the city buildings. I continued walking, frequently poking my hands into my pockets, flipping a few coins over and over. I turned the corner, looking at a few different street signs. My hair blew into my face a few times, so I brushed it out of the way. I walked further along the sidewalk, heard a few dogs bark, watched as a couple of people walked by, and even smiled at an elderly woman sitting on her porch.

I walked along the sidewalk, slowly stepping on each crack that I came across. I remembered the little chant that the schoolgirls used to sing…

_Step on a crack and you'll break your mother's back!_

… I stepped harder.

I don't think that it had occurred to her that I might have been alive… I don't think anything occurred to her at that point. I don't think anything about me, ever, occurred to her. She always worried about herself first. What she needed, what father needed… never what I needed.

I guess that's how I was betrothed. I certainly didn't need the money; I could feign for myself. But she needed it. She needed the stability. She needed that familiarity of her luxurious life that she never didn't have, and she was going to be damned if she didn't.

I continued walking, the sun now shining brighter in my eyes. I chuckled slightly to myself, as I felt the familiar warm sensation that it gave you as you stuck your face in its rays. I looked around again. More people were out, some heading off to work, some just hanging about on their porches, and talking quietly to their neighbors. New York was nice. I had begun to like the variety it gave you, even from my little hotel room.

As I turned another corner, I stopped, and peered at the small local theater sign that hung above the building.

_Maybe another day, _I thought to myself as I looked away and continued walking around the corner.

The children were waiting at their bus stops now, and their loud screeches made me smile. Girls were chasing each other, and boys were smiling and watching quietly from a far. They were at that age when they started to fond the other gender, but would never admit it.

I remembered my first crush. Johnny Davidson. He was a cute kid. He would bring the paper to my house almost every morning, and we'd talk on the swing out front. I remember mother noticing this one day, and from then on, she'd have one of our indentured servants pick up the newspapers themselves.

I never saw Johnny again.

"Miss?" someone said as they tapped on my shoulder. I turned to face them. It was one of the young boys, and he was wearing a foolish smile on his face.

"My friends and I," he said as he motioned to the other boys across the streets, as they waved nervously and smiled. "We think… We think you're…" He looked around, then pulled my coat down, so I was level with him. He cupped his hands then placed them over my ear.

"We think you're really pretty." I smiled, and stood up straighter. I gave a look to the other boys, and smiled at the one in front of me.

"Thank you." I replied. I bent down, looked him in the eye, and gave him a peck on his cheek. His face turned bright red, and he smiled ear to ear. I laughed, and looked at his friends; mouths opened, giggling. The girls stood with their arms crossed, glaring at me.

That made me laugh more.

He nodded, and laughed, and giggled, and smiled, then ran off into the street towards his friends, as they jumped and lunged at him, patting him on the back. I shook my head and smiled, and waved to the little boy.

"Hey what's your name?" he asked.

"Rose!" I yelled back.

"Rose what?" one of the other boys asked.

"DeWitt Bukater!" I yelled, when suddenly, I caught my mistake. I frowned, and looked down at the ground. I suddenly spiraled into sadness, causing the boys scream to be somewhat soft.

"What?"

I looked back up at him, tears flooding my eyes as fast as running water, and sniffled.

"Dawson." I said my voice cracking. He smiled and waved.

"I'm Gregory!" he yelled back. I nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Gregory. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Rose Dawson!" I smiled weakly, and turned away, wiping my face quickly so the little boy wouldn't notice.

I walked faster, then ran towards the street corner, the tears being harder and harder to hold in. I gripped onto the building as I spun around it, and began to cry terribly. I slunk down to the ground, and completely forgot about all the people passing by. At this point I didn't care who saw me, I didn't care who heard me. I just needed to cry. I needed to cry. I had never been able to cry.

"_Young ladies don't cry, Rose. We deal with our problems appropriately." _My mother's words rang in my ear.

But you know what… bullshit.

I was going to cry if I wanted to. I was going to yell if I wanted to. I was going to kick and moan and hit and slap and cry if I damn wanted to!

"Umm… Miss?" I looked up.

"Go away!" I yelled. I buried my face farther into my knees, sniffling away. I slowly spread my feet apart to see if they were still there.

"But, Miss?"

"I said go away! I don't want to talk to anyone right now, so just, just leave me alone! Please…" My voice trailed off into a whisper, a sad whisper… a whisper that I was used to now.

"Oh, alright." They said. I sniffled again, and looked between my legs. They were still standing in that same spot, not moving.

"I know you're still there." I said. Their foot moved, as if startled, then started to twirl in the street, pushing around a rock.

"Well, I just, I just want to make sure you're alright." I rolled my eyes and sniffled, then looked up slowly.

"I'm alright. There, now leave." My eyes were too blurry to see their face. I knew it was a man, young, probably around my age, and he just stood there, twirling his thumbs.

"Alright, but, just, here, here, let me help you up." They stuck out there hand, and I stared at it."

"_Here, just, just take my hand… you don't want to do this…" _

I took it slowly.

They pulled me up slowly onto my feet, and I wiped my face.

"There we go," he said. I smiled slightly, and sniffled.

"Oh good, a smile." I smiled again, and looked up at his face.

"Thank you." I said, goo from my nose and tears from my eyes streaming down my face. He smiled slightly, and wiped away the tear.

"Come, come on, don't, don't cry." I smiled slightly, trying not to, but that just made me cry more. I covered my face in my hands, and fell into him. I just stood there for a moment, leaning on his chest, when he put his arms around me. I breathed in the scent of soap and… and… tobacco… yes, it was tobacco!

"_And chew tobacco like a man!"_

"What?" I asked, as I looked up at him.

"I… I didn't say anything." He replied.

I looked away from his face, and over into the street, the sun blaring in my direction. The sun blaring in my direction… tobacco… tobacco…

"_Teach me how to ride like a man!" I said, the sun blaring into my direction. He chuckled and leaned closer._

"_And chew tobacco like a man!" I laughed as well, and looked down at the water._

"_And… spit like a man!" He laughed and grabbed onto the tightened rope._

"_What, they didn't teach you that in finishing school?" he asked sarcastically. I laughed again; just thinking of that idea was preposterous!_

"_No!" I yelled._

"_Well then come on," he said, latching onto my hand. "I'll show 'ya."_

"I, I have to go." I said nervously, pulling away from him slowly. "Goodbye."

I turned slowly, back from where I came, and walked.

"Hey, wait!" he said. I stopped, turned around, and looked at him. "What's your name?"

I looked down at my feet, tapping them against each other.

"Rose," I said quietly. "Rose Dawson." He smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Will I ever see you again, Miss Dawson," He asked hopefully, a smile on his face. "Possibly not in tears?" I gulped.

"Probably not." I said. His smile faded, and I turned away, walking back down the street. "Probably not…"


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm updating again? Yes! I just have to make up for my absence. I may even updated again later today! And for all of you who read the WNEMS update: I know, I know, but don't worry… it's worth the wait! So, you all must be wondering who this mystery man is, aren't you? Well, we'll see soon enough just who this man is... or will we? No, lol, we will(;**

**Love,**

**Lauren(;**

"Oh, good morning, Miss!" the bellhop said as I came strolling through the door. "It's good to see you up and about." I smiled and walked over to the counter.

"Good morning, Henry, thank you." I had soon grown fond of the bellhop. His name was Henry Perkins. He was fifteen, and was working for extra money for his family. He had a little sister named Clara as well, and she would stop by every now and then to help him out. She adored my red hair, and whenever they came by my room for a visit, she plopped down onto the small loveseat, and ordered me to sit so she could brush it out.

"Miss, I've been thinking," Henry continued. "Maybe you should start looking for work. I overheard the boss saying how he would soon have to start charging the… survivors. He hates doing it, Miss, but its policy." I nodded and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Yes, Henry, I know." I replied.

"Maybe you could go down to the local theater! I heard they're auditioning for Hamlet. You like Shakespeare, don't you Miss?" His eyes were hopeful, and the floppy smile on my face always made me giggle.

"Henry, please call me Rose. And yes, I do. I like it very much, actually, but I need a stable job at the moment. I can't just depend on nailing an audition. It's New York, Henry, there are thousands of actresses out here… and I'm just one of them."

"But you're a good one, Miss. I've heard you practicing in your room!" he declared. I chuckled and leaned closer.

"You can hear that?" I asked. "Oh god, how embarrassing!" we both laughed, and he shook his head.

"Why, not at all, Miss. Talent is nothing to be embarrassed of!" I smiled and ruffled the hair on top of his head.

"Why, thank you, Henry." He smiled and shoved my hand away playfully. I sighed again, and looked out the window.

"Say," I said. "Are there any restraints or diners hiring? I could wait tables for now." Henry frowned, and bit his lip.

"Well I'm sure there is, Miss, but I'd hate for you to have to be reduced to that." He said. I smiled weakly and slumped onto the counter.

"It's definitely something I'm going to have to get used to; working, but I think I can do it. I've always wanted to work and earn for what I'm given in life, instead of having it handed to me on a silver platter… I always hated that."

Henry nodded, and took a piece of paper of the counter. He grabbed a fountain pen from a small holder, and began to write something down quickly.

"Here are the best places I know of. Not all of them may be hiring, but it's worth a shot, Miss." He said. He handed me the piece of paper. I stared at it for a moment, and then looked back up at Henry graciously. I leaned closer and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Henry." I whispered. He smiled childishly, and I headed for the stairs.

"Um, miss!" he called. I turned around and looked at him. "Good luck." I smiled again, saluted him playfully, and scurried up the stairs. I ran through the hallway towards my room, and almost walked into an elderly man.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said, stopping to make sure he was alright.

"Oh no, it's fine. You better get going; it looked like you were in a hurry!" I smiled, patted him on the back, and continued running towards my room.

I hastily grabbed the key out of my pocket, and inserted it into the lock. I turned it quickly, and threw opened the door. I closed it behind me, and threw off my coat, placing it onto the small round table in the front of the room.

"Clothes," I muttered to myself. "Clothes."

But that was the thing. I had no clothes. I had been wearing the same dress, coat and shoes for the past six days.

"Dammnit." I said aloud, running my fingers through my hair.

Then it hit me.

I was poor.

I was third class.

I was nothing.

"Huh, so this is what it's like?" I asked, but not so much to myself…

More to Jack.

"Mhmm."

I spun around.

"Who said that?" I asked angrily.

"What, you don't recognize my voice already?" the voice asked again. I looked around.

"Who's in here? Hello?" I asked even angrier. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye from the bedroom.

"Hello?" I asked again. I hesitated, but walked towards the room slowly. I slightly pushed open the door and stepped inside. I walked through the room, looking for someone, when I heard a bang on the door in the bathroom.

"Is someone here?"

A laugh.

"Yes." They responded.

"Come out here!"

The door knob turned slowly, and my throat began to close. Who was this? Why were they here? I didn't have anything worth taking!

The door continued to open, and a brown shirt appeared slightly. I peered my eyes. They continued walking out, their brown shirt becoming more clearer, a pair of khaki pants swaying as the legs within them walked forward, and a tan pair of suspenders snapping with the motions of their arms.

I sighed.

"Can't you leave me alone?" I asked. He smiled.

"Rose, this is all in your head. I'm going to be here until you move on." I rolled my eyes and plopped down onto the couch.

"I don't know what to do without you," I confessed randomly. "This is too hard! I can't do it!"

"Yes you can," he said as he sat down onto the couch next to me. "It's going to be hard, but I believe in you."

"Why'd you have to go anyways? Why couldn't you have just stayed here with me! You and me, together! You jump-"

"I jump." He interrupted.

"Right!" I began to cry. I was beginning to get sick of crying. I laid my head down onto his lap, and he stroked my hair gently.

"Rose, it's not that simple. Look, everything happens for a reason. This happened so you could live your own life-"

"But I want to live it with you!"

"But apparently you weren't supposed to," he explained. He then chuckled. "Hey, kid, I don't make the rules." I tried to laugh as well, but it came out awkwardly.

"Oh Jack," I whispered. "I love you." Jack smiled, then leaned down and kissed me on the head.

"I love you too, Rose."

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. I shot up, and wiped my face.

"Just, just a moment! Jack, I'll be right-" but when I turned around… nothing.

He was gone.

"Fuck." I muttered. I groaned, stood up, and walked out of the door. Whoever it was knocked on the door again.

"Hold on!" I yelled. I ran to the door, ruffling my hair as I went. I opened the door quickly.

"What?" I snapped. "Oh, Henry, I'm sorry."

"Is this a bad time, Miss?" he asked. I smiled weakly and opened the door farther.

"Not at all, Henry, come in." He strolled in, and I shut the door behind him.

"Miss, the concierge just informed me of a small diner that's hiring, and I thought you'd like to know." He explained.

"Why thank you, Henry." I said, my mood uplifting slightly.

"It's called 'Maurice's'. I heard it's rather good. Homey, small, but good." He handed me a sheet of paper with an address, and I took it quickly, stuffing it into my coat.

"Thank you, but…" I began.

"What, Miss?" he asked, his face worried.

"I don't have anything to wear." I confessed. His face softened, and he smiled slightly.

"Oh, miss. You can wear that for now, and then I'll see if I can't find you something to wear. That sound good?" I smiled and opened the door.

"That sounds lovely." He smiled, and walked out the door. I closed it, then slumped down to the floor, closing my eyes.

Faking a smile is hard.

"Eh, it'll get easier." Jack said. I opened my eyes, then buried my face into my knees.

"Fuck you!" I yelled. He chuckled.

"Hey, have I ever told you you're rude?" I scoffed and wiped my eyes.

"Jesus Christ! Go away!"

"I can't, not until you've moved on." He explained.

"I'm never going to move on you sick bastard! I hate how you're fucking with my mind, and with you fucking with my mind, I never can move on!"

"Well try!"

"But I don't want to! I don't want to move on! Don't you understand that?" I screamed, my voice cracking. He sighed and walked over next to me, scrunching down onto the floor.

"Rose, you'll be alright." He said, trying to reassure me.

I nodded, when suddenly, a strange wave rolled over in my stomach.

"It's going to take some time, but with my help, you'll be-"

"I'm going to throw up." I said. Jack furrowed his eyebrows, and moved back.

"What?" he asked. I stood up quickly and headed towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to throw up." I pushed opened the door, hurried around the bed, and lunged into the bathroom. Suddenly, I vomited, and just made the toilet.

"Aw fuck." Jack said. I vomited again. Suddenly, strong hands pulled my hair back, and stroked my forehead as I threw up again.

"Real supportive." I muttered. I threw up again, and Jack rubbed my back.

"Rose, are you alright?" Jack asked, his voice soft. I closed the lid of the toiled, and pulled the string to flush it.

"Just peachy." I replied. He smiled weakly and leaned in to kiss me.

"Ew, no," I replied, motioning towards the toilet. "I just-"

"Rose, you think I care?" he asked. I smiled as well, and let his lips gently touch mine. He then kissed my forehead.

"You're a tad warm." He said. I groaned and leaned against the front of the toilet.

"Just great, I probably have mono or the flu, or-"

"Or," Jack said, looking down at the floor. He looked up slowly, and I met his gaze. We both just sat there for a moment, when I understood what he meant. I laughed.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." I said, standing up slowly, trying to regain my balance.

"It's possible." He said.

"No, no it's not!" I snapped. He put his hands around my waist and pulled me close, looking deep into my eyes.

"Oh it's _very _possible." He said. I scoffed and pushed him away.

"Now is no time to be flirty!" he laughed, and I stared at him, when I began to laugh as well. I walked out of the bathroom and into the living area.

"Rose," Jack said, gently grabbing my elbow. "You should go to the Doctor's."

"No, Jack. I am not going to the Doctor's. It's, it's just a virus or something."

"But what if it's not? What if you're-"

"Well I'm not, so… drop it." He sighed and rubbed his forehead, when in a flash, he whacked his fist against the wall.

"Fuck!" He yelled. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"What is wrong with you?" I asked. He turned around and walked toward me quickly, startling me.

"But what if you are! What if you are and I can't be there to help you! Who will, Rose? Who will?"

"Jack, please…" I begged.

"No, no this is ridiculous," he said. "I can't believe this!"

"Well what about me?" I yelled. "I'm the one that would be, the one who'd have to go through it alone! The one who'd have no support, no help, no, no, no anything!"

"And then there's me!" he snapped. "The one who'd have to watch you two suffer for god knows how many years!"

"Yes but I'm the one that'd have to raise them alone without their father! I'm the one that would look at them every day and be miserable inside because all they'd do would remind me of you!"

That shut us both up.

Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Suddenly, he began to cry. I'd never seen Jack cry. He came close to it a few times, that's for sure, but I never saw him cry.

Not like this.

He fell onto the floor, turning over a chair as he did, and just cried, holding his head in one of his hands. I sighed, then walked over to him. I sat down, and leaned on his shoulder.

"Look, it'll be alright," I reassured him. "I'll, I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Everything will be alright." He sniffled, and wiped his face.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "I have no doubt about that." I looked up at him slowly, tears forming in my eyes as well.

"Then what's wrong?" I asked. He sighed, and leaned his head on mine.

"I just can't bear the thought of never meeting my own child. Never holding them, never talking to them, never feeding them, never-"

"Jack, c'mon, don't think of it like that," I said.

"Then how should I think of it?" He asked. "How should I think of leaving the woman I love behind, pregnant, and alone?" I sighed, and chuckled slightly to myself.

"Well that's depressing." I said. He laughed weakly as well, and kissed my head.

"Hey, you have a job interview." He said as he stood up and held out his hand. "You need to get going." I latched onto his hand and stood up.

"Right," I said. We both just looked at each other, standing there, when he pulled me in tight and squeezed me hard.

"I'm so, so, so sorry." He said as he began to cry again. A tear escaped from me as well, but I wiped it away quickly so he wouldn't be upset.

"I know," I said. "I know."

**Okay, that was really hard to write. I think I'm crying. Anyways, review please! And tell me whether or not YOU think Rose is pregnant! You'll have to wait and see…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy New Years everyone! Let's kick off 2012 with a new chapter! What's everyone's New Years resolution? Mine is to write more chapters for WNEMS and YASIMH, and even AIALBTY, and to... I'm not sure… hmm… Oh! Find some acting jobs. Probably going to be local, but hey, maybe one day you'll see me in the next epic, romantic, blockbuster(:**

**Love, **

**Lauren(;**

A small bell run overhead as I stepped in the door of a small diner, Maurice's, and the smell of grease and beer instantly filled my nostrils.

"I got a stacked meat sandwich, no tomato up!" called a heavier woman from the kitchen window. She tossed a plate topped high with a sandwich onto the counter, and a young boy, maybe ten, picked it up.

"Got it!" He yelled. He scurried around the main counter and placed it down in front of a grizzly man.

"Here you go, George!" the man smiled and saluted him with his large mug of beer.

"Can I help you?" someone said to my right. I turned around, and my eyes went wide.

"Hey," they said. "It's you!" I smiled weakly at the familiar young man that I had met earlier.

"Um, and it's you!" I replied. He smiled and wiped his hands on the apron tied around his torso.

"My name's Will, Will Calvert." He stuck out his hand, and it took me a moment to shake it. "Nice to see you again, Rose. And hey, you're not in tears!" I chuckled weakly and shrugged.

"Ha, yeah." I said, when suddenly, I realized we were still shaking hands. I pulled back quickly and ran my hand through my hair.

"So," he said, changing the subject. "Would you like a table?"

"Actually, no," I explained. "I'm looking for a job, and was wondering if you were hiring." He smiled and threw his hands in the air.

"Why sure! Mom and Dad are always looking for help! You're hired!" he yelled. I peered at him awkwardly.

"Wait, you own this place?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nah, Mom and Dad do." I laughed.

"That's pretty much the same thing." I explained. He shrugged.

"Eh, I guess. But hey, I'm just a bus boy." I followed him through the groups of people, over towards the back.

"Let me introduce you to everyone." He said as he pushed open a door, which led to the kitchen. He pointed at the young boy that I had seen before.

"This is my brother, Eric." I smiled and waved. He smiled back.

"Eric, this is Rose Dawson." Will said. Eric wiped his hands on a towel and shook one of my hands with both of his.

"Nice to meet 'ya, Rose! Are you Will's new girl or something?" he asked. Will's eyes went wide, and he turned a bright shade of red.

"Shut up!" he said as he whacked Eric upside the head. I smiled slightly to myself, and followed Will as we continued forward.

The kitchen was small and dusty, and the only one that I noticed to be in there consistently was that little woman from before.

"Ma," Will said, touching her gently on the shoulder. "This is Rose. She's going to help out for a while." The woman turned to me and smiled, simultaneously pouring some type of batter on a hot skillet.

"Well hi there Rose," she said, her voice cheery and bright. And suddenly, she grabbed a towel, and threw it at me playfully. "Table number twelve needs cleaning." Will and I both chuckled.

"Right away, boss," I teased.

The rest of the day went pretty much like that; me bussing tables, Will doing the same, Eric waiting on people, and 'Ma' cooking up the food. When the clock hit six, and everyone was pretty much gone, an older man walked in.

"Hey Pop!" Eric yelled as he ran over to the man and gave him a hug. The man smiled and set down his newspaper.

"Hey, Kiddo! Where's your brother?" he asked. Eric smiled and pointed over to me and Will, who had been chatting it up for the past few minutes.

"Hey Dad!" Will called back. The man smiled and walked over towards us.

"Well what do we have here?" he asked, motioning to me. I smiled and stuck out my hand.

"Rose Dawson, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." He took my hand gently and shook it.

"Rose is going to be helping out here for a while." Will explained. The man nodded.

"Well Rose, I'm Maurice. Thanks so much for your help," he began. "I hope they didn't drive you crazy while I was out working." Ma chuckled and continued cleaning off her griddle.

"Not at all," I said. "It was my pleasure."

"So Dad," Eric said. "What's going on out in the world?" Will leaned down next to my ear.

"Pop works at the _Times,_" he explained. I gawked a little.

"Oh,"

"Well, nothing new, son," Maurice began. "All of the articles we're posting now really have to do with Titanic."

My heart sank.

"Such a terrible, terrible thing," Ma said with melancholy as she sprayed more cleanser over the counter.

"What's the final count of deceased?" Eric asked. Maurice nodded and went over to his things, grabbing out a notepad.

"Well, there are still some people missing, and some stowaways not accounted for, and then there are the people who didn't have their own ticket at all-"

_Jack…_

"But the approximate count is… seven hundred survivors and… one thousand, five hundred dead."

A shiver ran up my spine.

Will shook nervously.

"Terrible," he muttered. I stood there quietly, and continued to listen for another five minutes as Maurice gave off more statistics, talked about the terribleness of it all, and how they argued over who they thought was responsible, was something serious caught my attention.

"I'm sorry, Maurice," I said. "Could you repeat that?" Maurice smiled and nodded, and went to his last note on the page.

"Of course; well, it looks like there are a few first class members missing, and there is one warning out for a Rose DeWitt Bukater. Reward is… my god, one thousand dollars!" Ma scoffed, then chuckled.

"Sure wish that Rose was here right now! We could use that money."

"Mom," Will said. "The poor thing's probably lost and scared, alone and-"

"I'm sure she's managing," I contradicted. "I'm sure she can take quite care of herself!"

"What, a little first class thing?" Eric asked, pretending to courtesy. "Pssh, I'm ten years old and I could take better care of myself out here in the city!"

"The girl's probably never worked a day in her life," Ma continued.

"And wouldn't even know what to do with the money even if she had!" Maurice finished up.

But I had heard enough.

"Yes, well," I stammered. "Good night all." I grabbed a few of my things off the table, and then my coat from the coat rack. I quickly opened the door, in case I would cry, and walked out.

I was about halfway down the sidewalk, when I heard the little bell again, and felt someone run up alongside me.

"Hey," Will said. "You alright?" I stopped and looked up at him. He had big brown eyes and a small little scar over his eyebrow. I wanted to ask him how he got it; it was probably an interesting story.

"Yes, Will," I replied. "Thank you."

And with that, I headed back towards my solitary apartment, and began to cry again once more.

I had a feeling that I would be doing that a lot.

**OMG! So sorry that this took so long to post! I've just been super busy with basketball and school, but today I'm home sick and figure, "Get this done!" I'll probably post more of this, only because I've already started, but WNEMS depends on how I'm feeling. Review please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello all! Sorry for the late update, but again, like I've said many times, my life's been a little hectic. Also, I will be traveling to South Africa within the next few weeks, so I'll keep writing, but please don't expect an update until mid March. Thanks!**

**Love,**

**Lauren(;**

I woke up with the sun shining directly into my eyes. I groaned and rolled over, not wanting to move from my bed. I had been working at the diner for a good week straight, and it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But I was going to have to get used to the concept working.

Suddenly, the smell of my small, cramped hotel room became nauseating.

But it did the trick.

I stood up, ran towards the bathroom, and vomited right into the toilet. I groaned again and flushed, suddenly very tired of this whole sickness. Every morning it happened. Every time I smelled something funny, which was happening more and more often now, and every time someone got too close. It was disgusting.

I walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me so the terrible smell wouldn't escape, and looked at the clock, realizing it was time for me to get dressed for work.

I slipped on my work uniform, which consisted of a blue dress and a white apron, threw on a pair of shoes that Mrs. Calvert had given me, and pulled my hair up into a loose bun, smoothing down any fly a ways.

I had already gotten paid – barely – but it was enough to get me two outfits. One lilac dress and a white coat, and a navy button down dress with a gray pull over sweater. For now, I used my dress from the sinking as my night gown.

But it gave me chills at night.

I walked down the stairs into the lobby, hoping the smile on my face deluded the fact that I was as pale as a ghost.

"Miss, you're looking pale. Are you feeling alright?"

Dammnit.

"Rose, Henry, please call me Rose," I said with a laugh. "And I'm alright, really." He smiled and nodded, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Just checking," he said. I smiled, patted his hand, and headed towards the door.

I walked out into the chilly April morning, shivered a little, pulled my coat sleeves towards my hands, and continued towards the diner.

When I was about half way there, I heard a familiar voice.

"Morning," it said. I turned around.

"Good morning, yourself," I replied. Jack smiled and walked up alongside of me, running his fingers through his hair. We walked silently for a bit, but I could feel his eyes burning into my stomach.

"Would you please stop staring," I said. "It's making me uncomfortable." Jack looked away, and back again.

"I'm just trying to see if they're getting any bigger-"

"If _who's _getting any bigger?" I snapped. "Jack, I don't even know if I'm pregnant! You need to stop getting our hopes up."

"Our?"

I stopped.

I didn't mean that. I didn't want to be pregnant. Not without the father of my child being around, at least.

Or was that it?

Maybe I _did _want to be pregnant because Jack was dead. Maybe I wanted a little part of him with me…

No, that was absurd.

"Your," I said quickly. "I said_ your_ hopes up." Jack smirked, an understanding coming between us; an understanding that we both knew that that was a lie.

He knew me better than I knew myself.

"Alright," he said. I nodded, and continued walking in the direction of the diner. But something hit me then. Not so much, hit me, but… came across me.

"Jack," I began. "I'd rather not have you follow me into work." He looked at me oddly.

"It's just that I don't want to walk in and have it appear that I'm talking to myself. They would think I'm crazy." I laughed weakly, trying to sound happy about this, but I knew I wanted him with me at work.

"Sure," he said abruptly. I nodded, smiled, looked away, and continued towards the diner. I grasped the door handle tightly, and looked back at him.

_I love you, _I thought to myself.

But he heard me.

_I love you too, _he thought back to me.

By the end of my third shift, I was about as tired as ever. I leaned against the counter, wiped a dirty rag across my forehead, and sighed.

"You look beat!" Will cried. I smiled and threw the rag into sink.

"You could say that again," I replied. He chuckled, and leant back against the counter as well. But suddenly, and surprisingly, our hands brushed against each others.

I looked up at him, and he looked down at me, and just quickly as it happened, I pulled my hand off of his, but I didn't pull my eyes away from his.

"What's going on?" Eric asked, snapping both Will and I out of our gaze.

"Eh, nothing," Will said, clearing his throat. "Just chatting." I nodded in agreement, and watched as Eric's eyebrow rose.

"Chatting?" he questioned. "I think you mispronounced _flirting._" Will and I both stared at him for a moment, but I couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, Will did too, before messing with Eric's hair.

"Get lost, mutt," he said. Eric pushed his hands away in annoyance, but a smile cracked threw his tough demeanor.

"Ugh, that kid," he said. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Oh you love him," I replied. He smiled and scratched his forehead.

"Yeah, I do."

"I wish I had siblings," I said. "I grew up an only child." He nodded and looked out the window.

"Were you always like this?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Poor?"

That struck me hard; right where it hurt.

I had to think of something. I couldn't tell him that was some rich socialite that gave up everything for some… some…

_Gutter rat…_

But he was _my _gutter rat.

"Yes," I said, trying to steady my shaky voice. "Yeah, it was always like this. I grew up in Wisconsin, Chippewa Falls, actually. My parents died when I was fifteen and I didn't have any close relatives our kin nearby, so I headed off. I guess you could call me a tumbleweed blowing in the wind."

He chuckled and looked back at me.

"I like that. You're a 'go get 'em' kind of girl. That's," it took him a moment to find the right word. "refreshing."

_Refreshing._

The word rang in my ear.

It's funny, or more so, ironic.

That's exactly what I thought when Jack had told me the same thing.

I thought that he was refreshing.

"Well, I should probably get working again," Will said, rattling my head a little. I coughed, looked at him again, and smiled.

"Right." I said. He smiled and walked around the corner, as I walked towards the back of the dining room, seeing someone raising their hand for the check.

I walked towards them, when a call came from behind me.

"Hey Rose," Will called. I turned around and smiled.

"Yes, Will?"

He looked down, took a deep breath, and smiled back up at me.

"Would you like to go and talk for a little while? I mean, not in the restaurant?"

I thought about this for a moment.

Was this a date? Was Will Calvert asking me on a date? No, no he wasn't asking me on a date. He was asking to talk, to get to know me, the real me.

"That would be… refreshing," I replied. He smiled broadly, trying to contain his excitement, and stumbled into the kitchen. I smiled, a little excited as well, when my eyes trailed towards the window.

A familiar figure stood there, staring at me. His eyes were sad, hurt, upset. I did that. I had hurt him. I never, ever thought I would be the one to hurt him. I mean, I'm sure I had. I ignored him for a while, denied my love for him for a while, and now I was taking it a step further;

I was beginning to form a relationship with Will. It wasn't anything much and besides, I hardly knew him,

But something,

_Something,_

Was there.

_You won't forget me, right? _He asked, tapping into my thoughts. I stared at him fondly, ready to cry, and shook my head shakily.

_Never. _

**Okay guys, I won't be updating WNEMS until after my vacation. Sorry! **


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